Improved method of transporting cars through tunnels



l@uitrit tartes @stent @frn JOHN H. CRANE, OF CHARLESTOVN, MASSACHUSETTS. iena-s Patent No. 64,630, dated May 14, 1867.

IMPROVED METHOD 0F TRANSPORTING CARS THROUGH TUNNELS.

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TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, JQIIN H. CRANE, of Charlestown, in the county of Middlesex, and State of Massachusetts, have invented an improvement in Transporting Cars hrough Tunnels; and I do hereby decla-rc that the following, taken in connection with the drawings which accompany and form part of this specification, is a -description of my invention sufiicient to enable those skilled in the art to practise it.

The object of my invention is to aiford a ready means of transporting railway cars through tunnels, from a railway track :it one end to a connection with a similar track at the opposite end of the tunnel, by employing for such purpose a car or series offcal's having on the platform or plat-forms 'thereof 'rails which 'may be brought into connection with the terminus of either track, when the tunnel car is run up to the same, my invention consisting, primarily, in such employment of tunnel-traversing cars provided with tracks or rails for receiving and delivering cars from and to opposite railway tracks.

rlhe drawing represents the ends of a tunnel, with terminal railway tracks, and a tunnel car or carriage, showing my invention.- A shows a vertical central section, and B a plan of tracks, and tunnel road-bod a a denote the vopposite tunnel entrances; 5b', the ends of a railway running up to said entrances; c is a ear, traversing-wagon, or carriage, provided with rails d, fixed upon the platform, andforming part of the car, these rails connecting with the rails I; b of the main or stationary tracks at the opposite ends ofthe tunnel, when the traversing-car is brought into position with respect thereto. When so connected, the railway cars are drivel. upon a series of these traversing-cars, (successive ones being brought into position from turn-outs or side-tracks e,) cach traversing-car being drawn through the tunnel when loaded, and carried up into connection with the opposite track b or la', when the railway ears may be run from the travering-ear directly upon such track. The traversing-cars are preferably made long enough to receive several railway cars, and in such case may be made sectional, as shown at A and B, so that one part may have some relative vertical movement with reference to the other part, to enable the sections to give or yield to the irregularity or curvature of the road-bed, one part beingjointcd to another, as seen atf. In such case the journals to the centrewheels g are carried directly under this joint, so that any weight coming upon the car at this joint shall be directly sustained by and over the axle of the wheels y. To enable the traversing-car to be more closely and securely connected to the sidetrack c, the end of each side-track may be laid upon a swinging platform, h, which is tipped up as seen at to enable the traversing-car to be run by it, and is lct down upon the platform of said ear when it is run up intoA position. A similar swinging platform may be placed at each end of the tracks b b; and these platforms, by being kept up, act as guards to preventears running oif the breasts z'. The cars c may be constructed with flanged wheels to run on rails, or may have strong road-wheels to run on a common road-bed. It will be obvious that with sectional traversing-cars, horse-cars, with their horses, and other vehicles with draught-animals harnessed thereto, may be transported through the tunnel, both when rails are laid upon the traversing-car platforms, and when platforms without such rails are employed, the connection of the sections allowing the draughtanimals to step freely along the platform.

I claim the method of transporting cars through tunnels, by means of traversing-cars having rails upon their platforms, which rails connect with the railway tracks at the opposite ends of the tunnel, substantially as set forth. j

I also claim making the cars c sectional and jointed, substantially as described.

I also claim the hinged or swinging-rail platform h, made to swing up from or to be swung over upon the cars, substantially as described.

JOHN H. CRANE.

Witnesses: v

FRANCIS Goutn, J. B. Cnosmr. 

